Monday, July 7, 2014

Feature: CFN's Classy Lady

Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend. Today I'll be redirecting you over to CFN {Classy Features & News} because they are featuring me as their classy lady of the week! Catherine of CFN interviewed me last week for the feature and I'm so flattered and honored to be sharing a bit about myself!

Amy is a classy and fabulous blogger (Cupcakes & Couture is one of our favorite blogs), dancer, world traveler (she can speak three languages), and all around beautiful person.

Amy grew up in Auburn, MA and started dancing at age three. She competed in all styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, modern and more. “Dance definitely shaped who I am as a person, making me super attentive to detail, disciplined and a bit of a perfectionist even now at age 28,” Amy says.

She went to Wheaton College, a small liberal arts school in Norton, MA where she studied Spanish, French and Italian. “I’ve always been intrigued by different languages and cultures and I really love to read, so it was a natural fit for me. I moved to Boston after I graduated college and live in Back Bay, which I love!”

Amy is a self-proclaimed “lover of all things whimsical and magical,” and she still believes in fairytales. “I think my love of whimsy and magic began when I learned how to read in kindergarten. Books have been an important and fascinating part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was one of those kids who actually enjoyed the show ‘Reading Rainbow’ and begged my mother to take me to the library on the weekends!” How cute is that?

“For me, books were an escape from real life, and I loved how they opened my imagination up to new ideas and possibilities. Alice in Wonderland was always one of my favorites – I’ve read it more times than I can count!”

Books not only opened Amy’s imagination, they also taught her to appreciate the small things in life. “I try to notice the small things that occur in daily life that others may overlook – seeing my cat Phoebe snuggle up with my new kitten Oliver, hearing my favorite song come on at a cafe when I’m in a bad mood, watching baby ducks follow their mum in the river…little things like this can be magical if you just open your eyes up to them!”

Amy’s ability to celebrate the small things in life and the whimsical led her to start her incredible blog: Cupcakes & Couture. “I decided to start a blog to share all of my recipes, and it’s kind of evolved into a lifestyle site as I began to write about my other passions and interests, like shopping, interior design, style, travel and more. I recently started doing outfit posts to share my personal style with my readers, and it’s been so much more rewarding than I expected! I think what I’m most proud of about Cupcakes & Couture is how accurately it represents me – both as a person and my aesthetic. Aside from being a bit more sarcastic in ‘real life,’ the voice and tone you get from the blog is very authentic to who I am!”

Throughout her life, Amy has gracefully remained true to who she is. Even with immense success on her blog (Amy has been featured on Lucky and Lauren Conrad’s site, to name a few), Amy has remained classy and beautiful from the inside out (she’d also never wear something her late grandmother wouldn’t want to see her in!). “To me, being classy doesn’t mean owning all of the latest high-end designer fashions (although let’s be real: I’m dying for a Chanel bag) or attending only the most exclusive events. My definition of classy is being smart, thoughtful, elegant and sophisticated in all situations and always treating others as well as you’d expect to be treated – or better!” Amy says.

“To put it simply, I want to be proud of myself and my behavior, so I always try to be true to myself and live an authentic life. It’s easy to get down on myself every now and again, so to stay positive, I treat myself to little things that make me happy – a bouquet of peonies, French macaroons, a new candle for my apartment, a day trip to the beach… you can’t always count on others to lift your mood, so you need to be able to do it for yourself!”

Amy certainly teaches fellow classy ladies to lift themselves up and to see the positives (just take one look around her site – you can’t help but feel happy while reading it). Even more so, Amy’s zest for life teaches others simply how fun and beautiful life can be. Amy drives a 2004 Mustang with racing stripes (how fun is that) and recently visited Paris (she rented an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Can you say fantastique!). And not only is Amy a talented dancer, she’s also a huge hockey fan.

After planning her next travel adventure (which may be the Greek Islands or Fiji), reading a great book, blogging for her site, and more – Amy gives back to her community. She is a “big animal lover” and is on the young professionals board for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. She also volunteers for the Miss Boston Pageant.

We can’t wait to watch Amy find even more success with her blog not only because her blog is so lovely but also because Amy is the loveliest.